Comovement and Predictability Relationships between Bonds and the Cross-Section of Stocks

45 Pages Posted: 7 Jun 2010

See all articles by Malcolm P. Baker

Malcolm P. Baker

Harvard Business School; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Jeffrey Wurgler

NYU Stern School of Business; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Multiple version iconThere are 9 versions of this paper

Date Written: April 2010

Abstract

In contrast to the well-known unstable relationship between the returns on government bonds and stock indices, we find that bonds are robustly related to the cross-section of stock returns in both comovement and predictability patterns. Government bonds comove more strongly with bond-like stocks: stocks of large, mature, low-volatility, profitable, dividend-paying firms that are neither high growth nor distressed. Time-series variables already known to predict returns on bonds also predict returns on bond-like stocks, and vice-versa. These relationships remain in place even when bonds and stocks become “decoupled” at the index level. They are likely driven by a combination of effects including correlations between real cash flows on bonds and bond-like stocks, correlations between their risk-based return premia, and periodic flights to quality.

Suggested Citation

Baker, Malcolm P. and Wurgler, Jeffrey A., Comovement and Predictability Relationships between Bonds and the Cross-Section of Stocks (April 2010). NYU Working Paper No. 2451/29604, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1621153

Malcolm P. Baker

Harvard Business School ( email )

Boston, MA 02163
United States
617-495-6566 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.people.hbs.edu/mbaker

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Jeffrey A. Wurgler (Contact Author)

NYU Stern School of Business ( email )

Stern School of Business
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New York, NY 10012-1126
United States
212-998-0367 (Phone)
212-995-4233 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.stern.nyu.edu/~jwurgler/

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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